Kiba's weakness, Hinata's strength
by lonely whisperz
Summary: KibaHinata. Kiba loves her. She doesn't have a clue. But how does she feel? How will they face an uncertain future? Will they ever look at each other and realise their destiny? Please Read & Review.
1. Kiba's Thoughts

**Title **_Kiba's Strength, Hinata's Weakness..._  
**Author **lonely whisperz  
**Genre **Romance/General  
**Rating **K+ (For nows anyways...)  
**Disclaimer **Kiba and Hinata are both characters of Naruto belonging to Masashi Kishimoto! (Duh!) I am not profiting at all by publishing this piece of fiction. I have written and 'published' this work of fan fiction for my pleasure and the pleasure of other Naruto fans! Besides… It isn't worth suing me because I don't own anything but some old smelly socks and some unidentified gooey stuff under my bed. So… Yeah.  
**Summary** Kiba's thoughts and musings as he watches and loves Hinata from a distance...  
**Chapter One **_Kiba's Thoughts..._

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_There is love of course. And then there's life, its enemy...__  
** Jean Anouilh**_

Kiba watched hidden from view in the bushes as Hinata punched and kicked the training log as hard as she could over and over.

Kiba was proud as he watched her. Her stamina and strength has improved and increased by leaps and bounds in the past 3 years. All of the genin had but Hinata was different. As all the genin did all they could to prove their worth and be noticed by the their jounin sensei's, Hinata sat quietly on the sidelines refusing to draw attention to herself.

Kiba stifled a gasp when he saw her punch the log at the wrong angle and caused her knuckles to bleed. It took a lot of his willpower not to leap out from the bushes to see to her wound. But he didn't want her to know after all this time that he had been watching her every chance he got.

Even before he realized what caused the queasy sensations he felt in his stomach whenever she cried or was hurt in anyway, before he understood why he always tried to shield her from the painful realities of what being a shinobi meant, even before he completely grasped why he instinctively felt the urge to have her close to him… He had always watched her.

As a child he had thought her the most fascinating female shinobi-in-training and had made a game of following her around and seeing what she did and how she did it. Later after he had gotten Akamaru, he discreetly had him follow Hinata when he couldn't himself. He didn't know why then. He reasoned with himself at the time that she was one of the most promising female shinobi's ever (And the only one who didn't swoon when the arrogant assed Sasuke walked into the same room) but that she hadn't bloomed and he wanted to see how and when she would.

Too bad he missed the moment she did bloom (Read authors note at the end). Then again, maybe it was better he wasn't there. It hurt to know it was Naruto that had had the power to help her find herself and bloom when in the past Kiba himself had tried and failed to do so.

But now it was different. Naruto was not around. Kiba was. It was him that had helped train Hinata. He was the one by her side on missions. It was with him that they had managed to pass and become Chounin. It was to him that she had turned to when she was at her lowest point and needed comfort.

It was Kiba that loved Hinata more than any person.

But, she didn't know.

In her thoughts were Naruto. 'Out of sight, out of mind' was a term that did not apply to Hinata. Thoughts of him drove her to work and train harder. He was the unknowing force that made her push herself beyond her own limitations.

Kiba was not. God, that hurt. He didn't blame her though. While Naruto was just plain stupid and couldn't see the plain and obvious adoration shining through Hinata's eyes every time she looked at him, Hinata didn't know how Kiba felt because he never showed it. He refused to. Anyone who looked at him would think he felt nothing but brotherly affection towards the female shinobi. The only one who knew better was Akamaru.

Despite all of Kiba's self-confidence and optimism in life, he could not bring himself to tilt the fine balance of friendship, affection and love (Though not the type he preferred) that Hinata had for him. The one thing he could not bear was the look of dismay in her eyes to know her closest companion felt an emotion she could not reciprocate.

It was better this way.

It was almost dark when she finally went back to the village. Kiba waited till he was sure she was no longer nearby. He stepped out from behind the bushes and approached the training logs. His own log would have to be replaced soon. He frowned. Tomorrow he and Akamaru would have to go and search for one. Shino had just replaced his own. His were replaced as often as Kiba's.

Hinata's lasted longer but that's simply because she trained other aspects of her ninjutsu and genjutsu as hard as her taijutsu. Again he felt proud of her. He had been blown away when she had displayed her ninjutsu abilities to him a few months ago. She had chosen to specialize earth and plant ninjutsu's. While her fire, water, and wind ninjutsu were no less impressive she had confided to him she felt her chakra was most in tuned with her earth/plant ninjutsu abilities.

Only then had he realized how hard she had trained herself. It was absolutely amazing how many abilities she had mastered perfectly but still felt inadequate and clumsy around other lesser shinobi's. But as proud as he was of her the lingering feelings of resentment and jealousy for the unseen golden shinobi filled his heart. It wasn't Kiba that Hinata thought of when she became stronger or trained harder. It was Naruto.

Nothing changed that fact and the knowledge of that caused immeasurable pain for Kiba. Grinding his teeth he pushed out the image of the smiling golden hard shinobi from his mind.

Kiba noticed the dried blood on the ground. Hinata's blood. He hated the sight. He never wanted her to feel pain. He wanted to carry her burden for her so she could soar. But it was not possible. His fear, his weakness, his disability to admit his love held him back.

When will the day come that he could look at her and tell her that she owned his heart. That she was his pain and pleasure. That her smile and laughter was his own and her tears and sadness was his too?

He sighed at the answering silence the night offered.

Too many thoughts... Too many conflicting emotions… He should just go home. Akamaru would be worried. Or maybe not. Kiba couldn't help smirking. Who would have thought that Akamaru could get himself a girlfriend? Not that the Akamaru's canine companion ever had a chance. It was literally love at first sight for Akamaru and he had pursued her till she caved in to the attentions of the handsome, proud canine. Akamaru had become quite handsome after he hit puberty. His half-wolf genes finally becoming obvious as he grew physically larger and his features matured.

His free time was spent with his own girlfriend when he wasn't training with Kiba. Kiba was happy for the dog he loved so well but sometimes it simply amplified his own lonely existence.

Kiba stared up into the star-filled sky. Each twinkling like gems in the sunlight. He breathed in the lingering scent of Hinata. In the end he just sat by her training log. Pondering about himself. Listening to the sounds of the woods. Breathing in her scent. Imagining things about her he should not imagine.

He looked at the stars again and felt the infinity of his feelings as he watched the infinity of the stars existence.

"Love me Hinata… Please love me…" And the whispered words fell unheard into the ocean of silence of the woods where it continues to linger.

_To be Continued...  
_

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**Author's Notes**

Read:"Too bad he missed the moment she did bloom"-Line 1, Paragraph 6 (Read Naruto manga Volume 9-Chapter 79 to get the clear picture)

Reposted! (Finally...) Hope it is a little more pleasant to read now than before! ;-) Do leave a review with your thoughts and opinions! Thank You!


	2. Hinata's Midnight Musings

**Title **_Kiba's Strength, Hinata's Weakness..._  
**Author **lonely whisperz  
**Genre **Romance/General  
**Rating **K+ (For nows anyways...)  
**Disclaimer **Kiba and Hinata are both characters of Naruto belonging to Masashi Kishimoto! (Duh!) I am not profiting at all by publishing this piece of fiction. I have written and 'published' this work of fan fiction for my pleasure and the pleasure of other Naruto fans! Besides… It isn't worth suing me because I don't own anything but some old smelly socks and some unidentified gooey stuff under my bed. So… Yeah.  
**Summary** Hinata takes a moment to muse about the one's she loves in her life...  
**Chapter Two **_Hinata's Midnight Musings...  
_

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_Your Intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you...  
**Robert Elbert **_

Sigh…

It was 2.30am. It was completely quiet as Hinata crept inside the large house. Naturally no one stayed awake to wait for her.

It was only Hinata after all.

Quiet as a whisper she closed her bedroom door behind her. As she slowly undressed, she made sure not to make a sound despite the fact that a slight amount of noise would not be heard outside her room.

Her entire body felt sore and her arms especially achy. She inspected her knuckles and winced slightly when she prodded it a bit too hard. It wasn't comfortable but she would be fine.

She stepped into a small, but comfortable, bathroom and stepped into the shower. The warm water on her delicate skin and aching body felt luxurious. She took her time to slowly lather her entire body with a uniquely concocted, green tea scented, body shampoo and washed her now shoulder length hair.

Finally turning off the water, she wrapped a towel around herself and went to sit outside at the balcony of her room. Her room was on the 3rd floor of the Hyuuga house and she has enjoyed the view countless times as she sorted out her thoughts.

And, as she was accustomed to doing of late, she thought of Kiba. She wondered what he thought of her now. Does he now think of her as a capable ninja? A force to be reckoned with? Or perhaps he still looks at her and thinks 'how is she ever going to get by?'? Does he regard her as a little sister to be watched over and protected?

Or as a woman?

She recalled mission they have completed together and how marvelous his techniques were. She now pulled her own weight in the group and was as accomplished as he and Shino… But still, she felt she was lacking. Like there was something she couldn't quite grasp even though it was right ahead of her.

She sighed and tried to let the soft breeze blow her anxieties away. To leave nothing more than the pure bare facts so she could find an answer to the most pressing matter at hand.

How did she feel towards Kiba-kun?

Of course she loved him. Indeed she had no doubt that fact. But what she was not sure of, was HOW did she love him now? Before it was not more than a companion, then as a brother. But now… she seemed to love him more as a man than anything else. It was frightening since she never expected anyone other than Naruto-kun to cause her such emotions.

Naruto-kun… She wondered where he was... Wondered if he is looking up at the same twinkling star as she was now? Wondered if he thought of her? Wondered if she still loved him best…

Hinata jerked out of her thoughts. What was she thinking? Kiba-kun… Naruto-kun… Neither of them would think of her that way and she should not tear herself apart wishing she was the one they went to sleep thinking of. She hadn't seen Naruto in 3 years… And she has seen Kiba-kun everyday in 3 years…

Determined to sleep, she went inside and changed into her pajamas before getting into bed. But just as she was falling asleep, she thought once more of Naruto-kun and Kiba-kun.

"Can I ever reach out and touch you?"

Then she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. But not before she wondered whom she had meant it to when she whispered the words.

_To be Continued..._

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**Author's Notes**

Yes! It is true! I reposted this:-P I finally took some time to resort the few fanfic's I had. Hope you all find it a little easier and more pleasant to read than before! ;-) Do leave a review with your thoughts and opinions of my writing! It is very much appreciated:-D Thank You!


	3. Another Day in the Life of

**Title **_Kiba's Strength, Hinata's Weakness..._  
**Author **lonely whisperz  
**Genre **Romance/General  
**Rating **K+ (For nows anyways...)  
**Disclaimer **Kiba and Hinata are both characters of Naruto belonging to Masashi Kishimoto! (Duh!) I am not profiting at all by publishing this piece of fiction. I have written and 'published' this work of fan fiction for my pleasure and the pleasure of other Naruto fans! Besides… It isn't worth suing me because I don't own anything but some old smelly socks and some unidentified gooey stuff under my bed. So… Yeah.  
**Summary** It's just another normal day for a teenage ninja...  
**Chapter Three **_Another day in the life of...  
_

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_Saying Nothing… Sometimes says the most…__  
**Emily Dickinson**_

The following day training was at 9 a.m.

Kiba had spent the night at the training ground where Akamaru had joined him not too long after he had fallen asleep. They woke at daybreak and went about their business before heading out to get a replacement log for their worn-out one.

He arrived back at the training ground to find Hinata sitting in the shade of the tree.

"Ohayo gozaimasu Kiba-kun" She looked beautiful and so serene sitting there that it took a tremendous amount of Kiba's willpower not to go pounce on her and hold her in his arms.

"Ohayo gozaimasu Hinata-san" He was amazed he actually managed to replace the log without falling over or crushing his foot with it or something.

After he was done, he went to sit next to Hinata under the shade. She smiled at him. His heart swelled at the gesture. He grinned back at her.

Akamaru was very content to simply rest his head on Hinata's lap and doze there. Hinata giggled when he initially wanted to sleep on her lap but she told him gently that he was much bigger than her and could only put his head on her lap.

"Sorry about Akamaru" Although he was quite sure she didn't mind, he felt that he should apologize all the same.

She smiled at the large canine on her lap before looking at Kiba. "I actually like him like this. I miss him a lot now that we don't have as much time to spend together anymore…" She ruffled the fur on top of Akamaru's head a bit. Kiba stared at her hands wishing they were touching him instead.

"And me? Don't you miss me too?" His tone was half joking half serious.

She glanced at him then turned back to Akamaru blushing prettily. Kiba laughed a little at that trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh Kiba-kun…" Her voice was hardly above a whisper.

"Kiba! Hinata! You're here early! Its not even 9am yet! Come on we will start warming up and training now!"

Kurenai-sensei had arrived with Shino-kun right then. Kiba gritted his teeth as he got to his feet and Hinata followed suit. He wondered what she was about to say before they were interrupted.

**-------------------------------------o0o-------------------------------------**

The sun was setting slowly in the east as Hinata made her way painfully back to the training grounds.

Kurenai-sensei had made them go and complete half a dozen D rank missions around the village and later warned them to prepare to go on a C rank mission the following week. Retrieving a scroll from the Village of Hidden Water for the Hokage. Nothing dangerous but sensei still expected them to do their best nevertheless.

Hinata wondered how she expected them to be so when she made them train for 3-4 hours daily and then go around the village completing silly D rank missions.

Leaning against the tree she had sat under that very same morning, she thought about what she was about to say to Kiba before they were interrupted.

"… _I miss you even when you are right here next to me…"_

She closed her eyes. Thank Goodness Kurenai-sensei and Shino-kun had arrived at that moment. She didn't even want to imagine how embarrassed and awkward the situation would have been with Kiba had she uttered those words.

Even if they were true.

Argh! She shook her head till she felt dizzy. Please make it stop. Make it stop! He doesn't think of me that way! He doesn't feel for me that way! He doesn't look at me that way! No one does or ever will! No one loves me! No one! So why love anyone else! Just stop breaking your own heart!

Her face suddenly felt wet. Stupid tears. Frustrated, she rubbed her sleeves against her cheeks to wipe away evidence of 'weakness' as her father liked to refer to tears as.

She missed Kiba now. Now, Naruto didn't occupy her mind every moment of her free time. Kiba did. This was too unfair.

Breathing deeply, she forced her nerves and emotions to calm. She forced herself not to think about Kiba-kun's infectious grin… Forced herself not to imagine his laughter in the forest… Forced herself not to imagine the touch of his wild hair… Forced herself not to think of the kindness in his eyes when he looked at her…

Eventually, she looked up and finally realized that night had fallen around her. She took in all the beauty of the evening and then went up to her log to train her taijutsu. Never mind that her stomach was growling from hunger just yet. She can take care of little things like hunger later.

Right then and there, she only wanted to train herself to exhaustion and sleep a dreamless sleep...

**-------------------------------------o0o-------------------------------------**

Kiba sat among the branches of the trees surrounding the training grounds careful not to let his presence be known to the spirit-worn shinobi below.

God… Why couldn't he go down and comfort her? Take her into his arms and let her have his strength? Let her have his warmth? Let her have his love?

If it would only matter. If it was only wanted.

Akamaru was with him. Nudging him insistently until he glared at the canine with a clear warning in his eye.

He watched her wondering when was the last time she ate. She looked so thin. He wondered when was the last time she sat down to have a meal with her family. When she last spoke to her father as a daughter and not as a shinobi updating him on her progress.

He wondered when she last had human contact simply for her own sake. Not for training or fighting or to help another person. When she last touched a person for the sake of feeling. When she last spoke to another being for the sake of listening. When she last looked at a person to be looked back with love.

He reached out his hand… And then let it drop to his side.

He watched as she finally went to train taijutsu.

It wasn't him she needed… But she sure as hell was the one he needed.

If only…

_To be Continued..._

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**Author's Notes**

Reposted for your reading pleasure:-D I think you all will find it a little more pleasant to read now as compared to the previous format! ;-) Now, do be a darling and leave a review for me k! LoL! Reviews are always much loved and appreciated:hugs: Thank You!


	4. Moving On

**Title **_Kiba's Strength, Hinata's Weakness..._  
**Author **lonely whisperz  
**Genre **Romance/General  
**Rating **K+ (For nows anyways...)  
**Disclaimer **Kiba and Hinata are both characters of Naruto belonging to Masashi Kishimoto! (Duh!) I am not profiting at all by publishing this piece of fiction. I have written and 'published' this work of fan fiction for my pleasure and the pleasure of other Naruto fans! Besides… It isn't worth suing me because I don't own anything but some old smelly socks and some unidentified gooey stuff under my bed. So… Yeah.  
**Summary** It's always hard trying to let go...  
**Chapter Four **_Moving on...  
_

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_Moving on, is a simple thing… What it leaves behind is hard…_  
**_ Dave Mustaine_**

Exhausted wasn't nearly strong enough a word to describe the aching tiredness of Hinata's body or mind. She had been training for hours and she felt ready to collapse at any given moment.

She leaned her forehead against her training log wearily. Going back to the dark Hyuuga house was too depressing to consider. All that waited for her was a cold room, neverending silence and more proof of the fact that she was not of any importance to her own family.

Family… Once, she was sure she had such a thing. But it was lost to her due to her own lack of ability and her own inability to live up to her family name. The Hyuuga's had no time for the weak… Especially if the weak was one of their own.

Hinata felt drained. She had too much emotional turbulence inside her to feel at peace. The closest she could come to peace was when she was immersed in the dark dreamless place during sleep.

And when she was with Kiba.

It was odd. She had always felt people stunted her. People made her nervous. The thought that she was a bother… that she was somehow in the way… that she was not nearly good enough to be around them constantly bothered her…

But not Kiba.

He made her laugh when she wanted to cry. Kiba made her feel like it was okay for her to occasionally take a break and watch the grass grow. Made her realize there is more to life than the past…

And Naruto was a part of her past.

Hinata felt a pang of something that felt like regret in her chest.

What if's and maybe's may her hesitate to leave the past behind… Leave Naruto in the past where he belongs… To let him drift into sweet memories of a child who once wished to be the balm which healed the pain within his soul…

He didn't need her.

Now, she was old enough to see that. He constantly drove ahead leaving her behind because he did not want to wait for someone to heal him. That was not his way. He healed himself. He found what he needed in the world. People to love… and love him in return.

It just wasn't her.

Maybe if she had told him… What if she had had the courage… Maybe… What if…

Useless.

It served her no purpose now to hold onto a past… a person… a life that brought her no joy. No future for herself. It was time to let go.

Hot tears escaped her eyes.

"Kiba-kun…" Would he want to be a part of her future? She was afraid. She wasn't sure she could get through a life without him. Her lifeline. The only person to make her feel as though she was worth more than a disposable asset.

Could he possibly learn to love her? She knew she loved him. Such thoughts do not occur unless there was love. Such need could not exist without love.

"I need you… Please…"

**-------------------------------------o0o-------------------------------------**

Kiba was sure he heard wrong.

Hinata was calling him. She said she needed him.

He was not sure if he should go down and expose himself to her.

But he could see she was exhausted and her shaking form told him she was crying.

_Don't cry._

He will regret later. He can face the consequences of his actions in the future.

But right now, Hinata needed him.

Kiba was behind her in an instant. Akamaru had decided to make himself scarce and leave them both be.

"Hinata…"

He put his arms around his waist and pulled her back. He turned her around and placed her head on his chest. She fit perfectly in his arms. He could smell the shampoo of her hair and the sweat on her skin.

At first she had been stiff in his arms – out of surprise or rejection he was not sure – at first. But then she was soft and pliant.

Her arms wrapped around his body.

And Kiba felt complete.

"Thank you… Kiba…"

He felt surprise at her calling him so informally. Felt estatic at the sound of his name on her lips… As though she needed him like the air they breathed. Like she loved him. As though he was her lover.

And then she went limp in his arms.

Hinata had fainted.

_To be Continued..._

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**Author's Notes**

REPOSTED! ;-D Yeah Baby!

Anyways... MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Ebil is I not? ;-P Wonder whats gonna happen to Hinata and Kiba... ;-) Reviews always 'encourage' me to write following chapters a little faster so do drop on off k? Thank You!


	5. Confessions

**Title **_Kiba's Strength, Hinata's Weakness..._  
**Author **lonely whisperz  
**Genre **Romance/General  
**Rating **K+ (For nows anyways...)  
**Disclaimer **Kiba and Hinata are both characters of Naruto belonging to Masashi Kishimoto! (Duh!) I am not profiting at all by publishing this piece of fiction. I have written and 'published' this work of fan fiction for my pleasure and the pleasure of other Naruto fans! Besides… It isn't worth suing me because I don't own anything but some old smelly socks and some unidentified gooey stuff under my bed. So… Yeah.  
**Summary** Admitting to loving someone is always a risk… But there is so much to gain if the one you love accepts your scarred and tattered soul… Will Hinata and Kiba take the plunge at last?  
**Chapter Five **_Confessions…_

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Ouch._

That was Hinata's first thought as she gradually regained consciousness. Groaning, she used her forearms to push herself up into a sitting position to better survey her surroundings. Everything seemed foreign to her. She hadn't been there before.

_Where am I…?_

She scanned the small, neat room that was connected to a small kitchenette and what was presumably a toilet. While it was unfamiliar, Hinata somehow felt as though she should know where she was. She just wasn't sure why. Her throbbing head certainly wasn't helping her memory.

She forced herself onto her feet and stumbled across the room. When she reached the door she hesitated. She should at least find out who it was that had brought her here to stay the night. Otherwise she would be lying out cold on the training ground until who knows when.

Hinata froze.

That's right! The training ground! She had finally made her decision to leave the past behind her where it belonged when she was at the training ground the night before! Afterwards she had dreamt Kiba took her into his arms. It had been extremely vivid. She could even remember the sound of his voice and the scent of his skin.

Hinata blushed the very unflattering, but cute, color of beet red. She must have passed out and dreamt of Kiba! Then whoever it was that had found her must have carried her home and let her sleep here instead. How embarassing!

Standing in front of the door was not one of Hinata's brightest ideas. She stood there, fiddling erratically with her fingers and mumbling to herself about every worry that entered her head. So, naturally, she didn't notice when the door slammed open and hit her squarely on the nose and threw her onto her back.

_Ouch._

It was a bad omen. Two ouches in one day simply can't be good. Hinata clenched her teeth and kept her eyes shut while her hands attempted to sooth her increasingly throbbing head. She made a mental note for future reference to avoid breaking her falls with her head. Very inadvisable.

"Hinata! Ohmygod! Did I hurt you?"

_Kiba?_

Her eyes snapped open and her jaw dropped open in shock. Only then did it hit her – This is Kiba's place! How could she have not realized before? She stifled the groan that nearly tore from her throat.

Kiba had dropped the groceries he had been carrying and was now by her side, looking a little panicky at the large red bruise on her forehead and her nose that was dripping a few drops of blood since it had suffered the brunt of the collision.

Hinata giggled at him. She couldn't help it. The whole situation seemed insanely stupid that she had to release the tension somehow. So she giggled at him.

"Hinata! This is not funny! Your bleeding! And your head! Damnit Hinata! Stop it!" He flew around his place and got some ice and a cool cloth to place on her head and wipe up the blood.

Obediently, Hinata stayed still and let Kiba tend to her. She still felt a little giggly but didn't want to further upset Kiba. He was trying to be nice to her, so why should she stop him?

"There! Much better!" He smiled at Hinata, now clean and less bruisy, with satisfaction. "Feel better?" Hinata nodded. "Good! Come on! I'm sure your hungry right? I'll make you some pancakes! And there is no rush since we don't have training until later this afternoon!"

He was cheery and loud as always. Hinata smiled at his enthusiasm as she followed him into the kitchen. It was as neat and organized as his room had been. She sat at the counter beside the stove and watched him work on the pancakes.

Suddenly Hinata's brained clicked and whirred as she remembered the events of the night before. Oh my… Kiba! Had he really been there last night? Was last night with her in Kiba's arms in fact what really occurred and not just the figment of her imagination? He had held her in his arms, love radiating from his eyes. Surely it wasn't 'her' Kiba?

Hinata stared at Kiba, who was now stirring the batter and had set the frying pan on the stove to warm before he started cooking. Kiba just kept whistling as he worked. It was obvious that if she was going to find out anything about the night before, she was going to have to ask.

Hinata gulped. "K-K-Kiba-kun…" Kiba looked at her and grinned. "Yes, Hinata-san?"

She felt very warm all of a sudden and wondered if it was best to let the subject just drop after all. But backing out was cowardly. Plus, she really needed to know if last night wasn't just a dream. It was significant.

"L-Last night… Did last n-n-night happen t-the w-way I re-remember?" Kiba suddenly became very still. His whole expression changed. It was almost alarming but Hinata didn't budge as he studied her with intense eyes.

"You remember?"

"I-I think I do… but I'm not even certain if it was real…" she faltered, unsure of how to continue. How did one ask if a person had held them in their arms lovingly before one passed out? She certainly didn't know.

The silence stretched. Kiba turned off the stove and placed the pancake batter on the counter. He went and got a couple of glasses of guava juice and then sat beside Hinata. She looked down at the glass of juice and blushed. _He remembered my favorite drink…_The thought made her blush shyly but at the same time it made her very happy to know he had remembered. They sat there for a while, the stillness occasionally broken when one of them took a sip from their glass.

Finally, Kiba spoke. "I… I wasn't sure you had remembered. I do want you to know that I did not take advantage of you in any way! I-I-I only brought you back here afterwards because I didn't want to just leave you out there in the cold. I'm not sure how you feel about what happened when I… you know…" Kiba blushed. Hinata couldn't help thinking he looked adorable like that. "I held you in my arms. I… I just want you to know that I didn't plan that either. Although I definitely don't regret it…"

He looked at her questioningly. Hinata wasn't sure what to say. He confirmed her suspicion of last night's 'dream' but where did that put her? Was he really confessing to having feelings for her? The same kind of feelings she felt for him? Hinata looked down at her lap feeling confused and torn apart.

"Y-You mean to say… t-that you f-f-feel the s-same way for me, Kiba-kun?" She whispered, looking away from him, afraid to raise her voice much louder.

He didn't answer. After a few minutes, Hinata wondered if he had left her alone. Perhaps she had imagined the love she had seen in his eyes the night before, she thought sadly.

Then she felt his hand on her shoulder. She could feel her heart rate increase dramatically and she felt herself unable to breathe. She took a shuddering breath into her lungs before turning around to face him.

What she saw took her breath away.

All the love she had imagined and more was shining in his eyes. All the love for he had in the world for _her._

Hinata lifted her hand and touched his face unconsciously. She wanted to touch him, to make sure he was real. Not a dream.

"K-Kiba-kun…?"

He leaned in slowly and Hinata braced herself for what she knew was about to happen.

He kissed her.

Lips against lips. Moist. Soft. Warm. Every dream come true.

Hinata closed her eyes and kissed him back.

**-------------------------------------o0o-------------------------------------**

_To be Continued…_

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_**Author's Notes**

Latest Chapter finally up! I'm terribly sorry for the long delay! My bad! X-/ I became a little distracted by my latest fanfic (What do you see when you look at me… - A Gaara/Hinata piece of work.). Forgive me! Anyways! I hope you all liked this chapter! I feel that my writing is improving slowly (but surely!) from my efforts at writing fanfics now! Yay! Of course, your reviews help me because seeing how much you like my work encourages me to improve!  Motivating me, y'know? So! If you all have a couple of minutes to spare do drop a review:hugs: And Thank You all for the support! ;-)

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**Thanks Y'all!**

Did I ever mention how much I love reviews? LoL! Bad or good is all good! Hahaha! Anyways, I wanna say thank you to everyone who reviewed and fav'ed or alerted this. ;-) Tis so good for my soul! Hope this chapter was enjoyable for everyone!

**nappyhead** Hahahaha! Ebil is good dear ;-P And I am happy to know you liked my minor cliff hanger in the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed this chappy.

**Riotgirl8268 **Soooooooo sorry for the late update! My bad!  Anyway! Glad to know you like the story. ;-) I will try to keep it interesting.

**ACM a.k.a. Annie May **LoL! Surprises are good aren't they! X-D Anyway! Yeah it is a little troublesome sometimes when I feel all lazy and I'm like "Ahhhh… I don't wanna write that fic no more". BUT then I remember how annoyed I get when I read a fic, become hooked and then the writer never updates anymore so…. Yeah. I refuse to become like that! Besides ;-P the world needs more kiba/hinata! G'luck with your own multi-chaptered stories! Together we can do it! Hahaha!

**Kitsuya **Thank you! I love you for loving it too! 

**nania **;-) Thanks very much! I shall continue to write in hopes that more shall 'love' this story too:-D

**CelestialGlowEquivalence **Woot! Indeed! X3 Thank you for keeping up with my stories:hugs: Hope you liked it!

**Maiyuko-chan **Yay! It warms my heart to know someone out there thinks this story is awesome! Hahaha! And yes, I do think the world needs more kiba/hinata :-D Enjoy!

**rx79guntank** Hahahaha! I only noticed that AFTER I posted the last chapter up! Hahahaha! And to be fair, in this fic, she had trained till nightfall once and went home to sleep, while this time-she had passed out due to emotional as well as physical exhaustion. ;-P But yes, it is a little repetitive and I shall be careful not to get caught in a loop  Thanks for pointing it out btw! And its nice to know you found the ending and minor cliffhanger interesting! I was a little worried about it to be honest X-D

**UniqueWolfLover **I'm really glad you like this story! Do stay tuned!  I shall endevour to update at LEAST once a fortnight! Thank you for the positive feedback ;-)

**Chisai **Hahahaha! That's too cute! Yeah well I'm just happy you didn't find the story bad or anything! ;-) Hope you will find it enjoyable in time to come. :hugs:

**Galaxya **Omg! You are too sweet:hugs: Thank you soooo much for such a lovely review!  I hope you continue to find my fic enjoyable! I shall try to get better with each chapter! Thanks again!


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